Charging for swarms

[Black Comb]

Do any of you charge and if so how much?

 

[Poly Hive]

Yes.

http://www.beekeepingforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=3739 see#6

PH

 

[Black Comb]

That's what got me thinking about it but I didn't want to hijack the thread.

Would be interested to know how much beeks charge>

 

[Poly Hive]

I winna get in the car for less than £20.

PH

 

[crazy_bull]

Generally £25 as it usually requires 2 trips, unless it is really local to one of my apiaries in which case i do it free as its likely to be mine.


I have been know to waive the fee if under cirtain circumstances ie little old lady etc although its usually those who insist on offering a payment and those who have a big posh house and smart cars who moan about the charge.

 

[grizzly]

When i first started i was just happy to get some extra bees and get some swarm practice.

Now i think it is sensible to charge a call out fee at the very least as PH says. It can be bloody hard work sometimes.

(Like crazybull i also found those who had plenty, were a right bugger.)

 

[Poly Hive]

I should add that my days of rocking around 50 ft in the air are gone.

I will make this thought a new thread.

So if you have an accident and the house holder is uninsured what happens then?

PH

 

[Black Comb]

Thanks for your replies.

Do we need extra insurance for swarm collecting?

 

[mbc]

You have to charge or you'll be forever called out to deal with wasps, bumblebees and last year a little colony of tiny carpentry bees ( I think)
Third party insurance is probably a v good idea

 

[Poly Hive]

Think: What is your life worth?

And frankly if that does not make your brain cells agitate then ........not my problem.

PH

 

[mbc]

Agitated braincells- not a chance theyre still hybernating!

 

[hedgerow pete]

depends on were they are, easy ones £25 diffiluct ones £40 , spray off and kill £25,
if scaffolding is needed you pay for that, i use it

dont forget that every swarm i collect i get rid of staright away so another £30 there aswell

 

[hedgerow pete]

but keep it in perspective

a collect bee swarm is worth say £40 collected and sold, when i am in work i earn double that so i wont want to be there for more than an hour two maximum, any longer and your better off at work and earning evan more money.

I collect at night after work only never in the day time so i dont lose earning.


go to the house, drink tea.
set equipment whilst drinking tea
put on bee suit whilst holding a cup of tea
walk over to swarm, examine swarm whilst drinking tea
put tea down knock bees into the nuc box, pick up tea, slurp and walk away
sit in clients garden seeing what cuttings i can ask for whlst drinking tea, put cup down collect swarm and go home and have a cup of tea

 

[mbc]

£30 for a swarm?"! packages are being sold for silly money made of foreign bees with an unintroduced foreign queen. Surely a decent sized swarm is worth more and has a greater chance of success!

 

[hedgerow pete]

i only sell or give away my swarms as i absolutly hate them with a passion, most will go to the newbees that are either working with or are under my wings so no i dont charge silly money , an old fashoned idea i know but one thats ok with me, the other thing i do is supply a full national bee hive free of charge for the first year to anyone thats under my controll, that way if they dont like the bees or for some other reason they back away they have not lost hundreds of pounds of money , if they do stay with the bees they can either bung me a few quid for a cheaply built ply wood hive or go and buy there own hive at there own costs.

I train newbees , i dont see them as cash cows as many suppliers do in todays markets

 

[mbc]

Very laudible but why hate swarms? I find them great for drawing out foundation and its allways possible to requeen them once that initial surge of enthusiastic endeavour wanes a bit.

 

[hedgerow pete]

mbc , the last time we had this conversation on this forum i got panned but i will repost it for you so you can make your own mind up

I dont like swarms because

my type of bee are not allowed to swarm because i requeen often to prevent itthere for any swarm i find is someone elses , the bees have swarmed for a millon reasons but one of the biggest is that they are carni bees , which i absolutly detest , a horrible bee for me are these things,
what pest s dieseases and pestalance are they carrying? i am varroa free and want to stay that way for as long as possible.
swarms of bees come from swarmy stock so you will if you are unlucky have them swarm again very soon, more hassel i dont want

do you know the breed type as some people like me dont like certain types again swarms dont come with paper work or a history of breeding

 

[mbc]

furry muff , each to their own

 

[peteinwilts]

my most productive set of bees last year originated from one of Petes swarms!

 

[hedgerow pete]

yeah i rember it easy to collect as they were five foot of the ground and the owner paid me £40 he was so greatfull